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‘Not telling me is the same thing, Tate.’ She gets up and unlocks the door then bursts out of the summer house. Tate follows her but gives her some space to get things straight in her head. She walks over to the railing surrounding the headland and laughs to herself.
‘I am such an idiot. I can’t believe I didn’t know.’ She closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths then looks down at the phone again.
He leans on the railing beside her making sure not to crowd her. ‘Not recognising me absolutely does not make you an idiot. I know I should have said something sooner but... Do you have any idea how many times I meet someone who doesn’t know who I am? I can count the times on one hand. When I met you... When I realised you didn’t know me, I liked it. I could just be me with you, you know? For the first time in a hell of a long time, I could actually be myself.’
‘Well, I’m glad my stupidity helped you, but do you really think that is going to make me feel any less mortified? Why didn’t you tell me before? Why wait until after you got to do what you apparently wanted to do for ages? Do you have any idea how that makes me feel? Do you even care?’
‘Of course I care, Chloe. I meant every single word I’ve said to you. Okay, I omitted some information, but I never lied to you. I know I should have told you before, but I couldn’t figure out how to.’
‘You sit me down and tell me. Like you just did, only before you laid a finger on me. I knew this would happen. I mean how could it not?’
‘Knew what would happen?’
‘I knew you’d hurt me.’
‘What?’
She glances down at her phone again and her frown deepens. He knows she’s reading, and he has a fair idea what it is.
‘Is this true? What they’re saying about you?’
‘Depends on what you’re reading.’
‘That you’re a heroin addict and you overdosed?’
Nausea twists his stomach as she says the words. For some reason hearing it back from her makes it sound so much more unbearable. With that statement he sees whatever might have been between them die. He nods and her eyes leave his.
‘I’m clean now.’ Tate hates how desperate his statement sounds. ‘But, yeah, it’s true.’
‘Tell Grace thank you for the amazing food.’ She turns away from him, grabs her jacket off the picnic blanket then heads down the track.
‘I’ll give you a lift back.’
She spins around and laughs harshly. ‘You’ve done enough. Just leave me alone. Please.’
‘I’m not going to let you walk home from here.’
She turns away and storms up the path towards the road. She can be mad at him all she wants but he is going to make sure she gets back safely. Even if that means dragging her kicking and screaming onto the back of his bike. He quickly packs the remains of the ruined picnic away and puts the basket back in the summer house.
He finds Chloe a little way down the road and pulls in just ahead of her and climbs off. ‘Get on the bike, Chloe.’
‘I’m fine.’
‘We’re miles from your gran’s. I get you’re angry at me and I completely understand. Let me take you home and then I’ll leave you alone. I promise. You’ll never hear from me again if that’s what you want. I just want to bring you home. Please.’
Chloe looks at the bike and her shoulders drop. ‘Fine.’ She takes his spare helmet and fastens it as she climbs on behind him. In stark contrast to the ride up here, he can barely feel her hands on him as he drives her home. He has to keep looking down to make sure she’s still holding on.
He’s barely come to a stop outside her gran’s house before she gets off and hands him the helmet. The bright red door closes behind her and cuts off anything he was planning to say to her.
∞
Chloe drops down in front of her laptop and types in the two words that have confused the hell out of her since she heard them an hour ago and hits enter.
And there he is. Tate Archer. Lead singer, lead guitarist, and songwriter for Broken Chords. How did she not recognise him? Now that she sees him she doesn’t know how she missed it.
Then again, she wasn’t expecting to find a celebrity on a small beach near her grandmother’s house.
As soon as he said his full name it was like a veil had been lifted. Even without checking on her phone she recognised him. It’s not even like Tate is a common name. But is it really that naïve of her not to make the connection?
